In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to an improved display tag especially adapted for cooperation with a metal packaging clip.
Poultry and other packaged meats and foods are often retained in a plastic or cellulose wrapping or casing which is fastened at one or both ends by a metal clip. Typically, the food product is placed in a casing. The open end of the casing is then gathered and a metal clip is affixed about the gathered end.
Because such products are often bulky and have an unsymmetrical shape, it is desirable to provide a handle or loop attached to the package so that the product can be hung for display or manually carried by a customer with greater ease. Tipper et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,259, discloses one method for forming the end of the casing material in a loop for such a package. The casing material is gathered and a free end of the material is formed in a loop. The loop is retained by the metal packing clip.
The structure and arrangement for making a carrying handle as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,259 provides a good solution to the need. Some disadvantages have, however, been noted. For example, the extra packaging material, which may be expensive, needed to form the loop is, in effect, wasted packaging material. Also, the end of the packaging material may slip through the metal clip due to the weight of the product when the product is being carried by the formed loop.
As an alternative to the arrangement shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,259, it has been suggested that a separate display tag and product carrying handle be attached when the package clip is attached to product casing. This suggestion resulted in the development of a handle and display tag as described and claimed herein.